Massachusetts Earned Sick Time Policy
MASSACHUSETTS EARNED SICK TIME POLICY
Employer: [COMPANY LEGAL NAME]
Effective date: [__/__/____]
HR contact: [NAME, EMAIL, PHONE]
Benefit year: [START DATE] through [END DATE]
Before you use this: Select paid or unpaid leave based on the employer's headcount and check any greater benefit in a contract or collective bargaining agreement. (§ 148C(d)(4), (6), (j).)
1. Accrual and use
Employees working in Massachusetts accrue at least one hour of earned sick time for every 30 hours worked beginning at hire. They may use accrued time beginning on the 90th calendar day after employment starts. (§ 148C(d)(1).)
Select the applicable category:
☐ 11 or more employees: up to 40 hours of paid earned sick time per benefit year.
☐ Fewer than 11 employees: up to 40 hours of unpaid earned sick time per benefit year, unless the company grants paid time below.
Company paid benefit above the statutory minimum: [DETAILS OR "NONE"].
Balance system: [SYSTEM].
Use increment: the smaller of one hour or the smallest payroll increment used for absences.
Carryover: up to 40 unused hours into the next year; annual statutory use may be limited to 40 hours. (§ 148C(d)(7).)
2. Permitted uses
Earned sick time may be used for the employee's own illness, injury, medical condition, or routine appointment; care or an appointment for a covered child, spouse, parent, or parent of a spouse; the effects of domestic violence; and the employee's or spouse's needs after pregnancy loss or failed assisted reproduction, adoption, or surrogacy. HR will apply the full definitions and conditions in § 148C(c) to a request.
3. Notice, certification, and pay
For foreseeable leave, give [HR CONTACT / SYSTEM] advance notice when practicable. For unexpected leave, notify [CONTACT] as soon as practicable. The employee need not find a replacement or work make-up hours as a condition of leave. (§ 148C(e), (g).)
For an absence covering more than 24 consecutively scheduled work hours, HR may request certification allowed by § 148C(f) and its regulations. HR will not require the document to explain the illness or domestic violence details, and will not delay leave or pay solely because certification has not yet arrived. Paid time is compensated at the rate required by § 148C(a).
4. Protection and separation
The company will not use protected earned sick time as a negative factor in employment decisions. Unused statutory earned sick time need not be paid at separation; any more generous written company promise controls. HR provides the Attorney General's current notice to employees and posts it where required. (§ 148C(d)(7), (h), (o).)
Acknowledgment
I received this policy and know how to request earned sick time. This acknowledgment does not waive a statutory right.
Employee: [NAME] Signature: [SIGNATURE] Date: [__/__/____]
Company representative: [NAME] Signature: [SIGNATURE] Date: [__/__/____]
About this template
- Last updated
- October 12, 2026
- Citations checked
- October 12, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- Massachusetts
- Category
- Employment & HR
Legal authority
- Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149, § 148C (earned sick time)
Employment documents govern the relationship between a company and its workers, from offer letters and employment agreements through handbooks, performance reviews, and separations. Done right, they set clear expectations, protect against wrongful termination and discrimination claims, and give both sides a record to rely on. Done poorly, they invite lawsuits, agency complaints, and costly disputes.
Not legal advice
This template is provided for informational purposes. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Checked against the law it cites
A reviewer verified this template's legal citations against the official source on October 12, 2026.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149, § 148C(d)(1) (checked October 12, 2026): "An employer shall provide a minimum of one hour of earned sick time for every thirty hours worked by an employee. Employees shall begin accruing earned sick time commencing with the date of hire of the employee or the date this law becomes effective, whichever is later, but employees shall not be entitled to use accrued earned sick time until the 90th calendar day following commencement of their employment."
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149, § 148C(d)(4) (checked October 12, 2026): "All employees employed by an employer of eleven or more employees shall be entitled to earn and use up to 40 hours of earned paid sick time from that employer as provided in subsection (d) in a calendar year."
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149, § 148C(d)(7) (checked October 12, 2026): "Employees may carry over up to 40 hours of unused earned sick time to the next calendar year, but are not entitled to use more than 40 hours in one calendar year. Employers shall not be required to pay out unused earned sick time upon the separation of the employee from the employer."
Draft your Massachusetts Earned Sick Time Policy in the editor
Answer a few questions, let the AI editor draft each section from your answers, review it, and download Word and PDF. $99 one time, or $249 per month for every document and every Ezel app.